Hey, Where Are The Kangaroos?
by Silver Sparklze
Summary: When Voldemort starts to wonder why Ginny Weasley managed to escape him so long ago, not only are Harry and his friends in danger, the rest of Hogwarts is too. So Dumbledore hatches a brilliant plan to send Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys to Oz...
1. Prologue

Title: Hey, Where Are the Kangaroos?

Authors: Silver Sparklze and The Great Muses

Summary: When Voldemort starts to wonder why Virginia Weasley managed to escape him so long ago, not only are Harry and his friends in danger, the rest of Hogwarts is too. So Professor Dumbledore hatches a brilliant plan to send Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and the twins Fred and George, to the last place on Earth that Voldemort would _ever_ look for them…Australia.

Chapter Title: Prologue

Chapter Summary: Enter Kiarna and Kira Blythe.

Author's Notes: This story was written by both Silver Sparklze and The Great Muses. We hope you like it, and review accordingly. In other words, review or we'll stop writing.

~*~

"Checkmate."

It was a rainy day, and Harry Potter was playing chess with his best friend; Ron Weasley in Ron's room.

"Not again!" Roared Harry's King. "Can't you choose your moves better?"

"Oh, shut up." Harry said, taking out his wand when the King began to berate him once more. "_Silencio._"

"_Harry,_" warned Hermione. "We're very lucky that Dumbledore got us pardon from the Ministry so that we could do magic this hols, don't abuse it."

"Alright, alright, keep your hair on." Harry said, pursing his lips in annoyance.

"Well we're supposed to use it for _emergencies_."

"It was an emergency, he was giving me a headache." Harry retorted.

"Ever since Fudge _saw_ V-V-Vold-_Voldemort_, we've almost been able to do as we like," commented Ron, still having trouble saying Voldemort's name.

"Except go to the Order meetings," said Ginny from the corner with a scowl.

"Yeah. I still can't figure out _why_ even Remus won't let us go to the meetings now," complained Ron. Ginny put her book down and leant forward with feigned enthusiasm.

"Well, let's just think. _When_ did we stop going to these meetings?" she said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"That would be … _straight after Dumbledore came!_" mocked Harry, clapping his hands together as if he'd only JUST figured out that one plus two is equal to five.

"Oh. Wow. Gold star Harry, you just graduated to kindergarten," Ginny replied dryly, returning to her book.

"Shut up you two," said Hermione and Ron simultaneously.

"Wouldn't want to come to Ron's defence _too_ quickly Hermione," said Harry with a smirk, resulting in Hermione's instantaneous blushing. She was saved by further embarrassment by a knock on the door. They all looked up eagerly, hoping for some news about the meeting. Or more importantly, _from_ the meeting. Fred and George poked their heads in.

"Oh," said Ron disappointed, "it's only you two." Fred faked a hurt expression. 

"Only us? We just happened to have some chocolate frogs, and some of those new sweets, but I don't feel like sharing today."

"I wouldn't take sweets from you even if you paid me 20 galleons!" retorted Ron, sniffing.

"Of course we can come in!" said Fred, "Why not?"

"Why not indeed," agreed George, and they pushed the door open on Ron.

"Watch it!" he grunted angrily. Everyone except Hermione ignored him, and she just gave him a visual once over and affirmed he'd be ok. "Thanks for the concern over my physical situation," he protested, as his position was still that of being squashed against his wall.

"So, we assume that you couldn't get into the meeting either," said Harry, raising his eyebrows.

"Nope. Have more luck trying to fit ickle Duddykins through a door than to get into the meeting," snorted Fred, adopting the same sour expression that Ginny had only 2 minutes ago. Fred and George had spent half an hour arguing with Mrs. Weasley over it, but she'd refused point blank to let them in. 

Harry laughed nastily, the two weeks he'd had to bear with the afore-mentioned Dudley was a nightmare, but the most horrifying memory of Harry's summer was still haunting him. Dudley had taken more boxing lessons, but even worse, he'd lost some weight and gained it as muscle, so that instead of being the size of a blue whale, he'd just been reduced to the approximate magnitude of an elephant.

"We even tried offering her a fake wand for free, and Bagman nearly let us in, but that was until she gave us, and him, _The Glare_. I just don't think that she fully appreciates a bargain when she sees it," explained George with a sigh. Harry grinned.

"Well, it was worth a try," he commented.

The acknowledgment from the Ministry of Voldemort's return, with the _strong_ persuasion of Dumbledore, Fudge passed a decree stating all junior registered junior members of the Order were permitted to use magic out of the school term. It was only two weeks after that that they had stopped going to the meetings. Not by choice, of course. When the meetings were held at the Burrow, all of the children were banished upstairs and for some odd reason, Mrs. Weasley _always_ knew when they'd come downstairs. Harry just put it down to some sort of magic. Little did he know that Mr. Weasley finally figured out how to wire the sensory buzzer (Bought at a muggle store of course) that flashed at the other end. Said other end was in the meeting room. 

"How about some exploding snap?" suggested Fred.

"Alright," agreed Harry, Ron and George.

"I'll pass," said Hermione, eyeing the pack warily. Obviously the memory of her first night these holidays was still fresh in her mind. Yes, it did involve exploding snap cards, the presence of Ron (Well, of course, other wise it wouldn't have been embarrassing for her!) and let's just say that her eyebrows only fully grew back last week.

"Me too," seconded Ginny, hardly even stirring from her book.

All was silent for 20 minutes – the boys stacking the cards, Hermione watching them from a distance (Ron in particular) and the occasional swish as Ginny turned a page. Then four things happened at once. There was a knock at the door, the cards exploded, Crookshanks bolted and Pig escaped from his cage. As the mayhem was unleashed, Remus stuck his head in, looked about, and retreated when he saw the pandemonium.

"Not so fast, wolf boy," said Ginny loudly, spying him from her corner. The door shut and silence followed.

"REMUS!" they all shouted together. He sheepishly came back in.

"Yes?" They all glared at him.

"Don't you have some information for us?" asked Ginny.

"Maybe…" he said playfully. They all leaned forward eagerly. Remus grinned at their expressions.

"Just tell us!" groaned Harry exasperated.

"Alright, alright. I'll tell you what I'm allowed. Pack your bags, get ready for school, because you're _all_," he paused and looked pointedly at Fred and George, "going to Hogwarts. Tomorrow."

"Why?" gasped Hermione. "School doesn't start until next week!"

"I thought you'd be happy to be going an extra week, Hermione. I know I'm not," teased Ginny.

"But _why,_ Remus?"

"I'm not allowed to disclose that information," came the standard reply.

"You people are never allowed to 'disclose that information!'" mimicked Fred angrily. 

"Hey! Orders are orders, mind the pun, don't shoot the messenger!" Remus threw up his hands in defence. "I think you will find you will learn information when you get there!"

"Will this be the opportune moment when I get to save the day and happen to be humanity's last hope?" asked Ron hopefully.

"If we ever are that desperate, I weep for the species," replied Ginny, turning another page boredly.


	2. Ch 1: Ah, embarrassment, how I love thee

Title: Hey, Where Are the Kangaroos?

Authors: Silver Sparklze and The Great Muses

Summary: When Voldemort starts to wonder why Virginia Weasley managed to escape him so long ago, not only are Harry and his friends in danger, the rest of Hogwarts is too. So Professor Dumbledore hatches a brilliant plan to send Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and the twins Fred and George, to the last place on Earth that Voldemort would _ever_ look for them…Australia.

Chapter Title: Ah, embarrassment, how I love thee 

Author's Notes: This story was written by both Silver Sparklze and The Great Muses. We hope you like it, and review accordingly. In other words, review or we'll stop writing.

Reviewer's Response: _Skittles713:_ Thanks, we're glad you like it. Here's the next bit.

_Angel St. James:_ yes, we like it too. Thanks for the review

_Duke20104:_ don't worry, you don't sound **redundant**. All comments are welcome. And yes, we suppose the characters are a bit oc…but we're working on it. Kinda hard for them to be in character in this kind of story…

_Dragonsile:_ there are no kangaroos.

_GNatgirl:_ sorry…here's the next chapter, though, so perhaps you can forgive us?

_Neely61:_ dunno…it's already got about 12 chapters written. Only this and the prologue typed though. Give us a bit of time…

_Eat paper:_ we live in Australia too.

_BuckNC:_ we plan to try.

_Keara:_ yes, we know you live in Oz…Newcastle, right? Silver used to live there…before she moved. Muses has lived in Vic all her life. Thanks for the review.

~*~

"Kia! Kia! Kiarna Blythe!" Kia jumped, startled. Her twin sister Kira was standing in front of her, oceanic blue eyes snapping.

"Oh, sorry Kira. I didn't hear you," Kia said, pushing a troublesome lock of red hair out of her own eyes.

"You never hear _anyone _when you're drawing. Or when you're reading," She pointed out rather angrily.

"I know, I know." Kia sighed, she'd heard this all before. "What was it that you wanted to speak to me about?" Her own blue-green eyes were an odd navy at the moment, reflecting her darkening mood.

"We've got choir practice in _5 minutes_!" Kira stamped her foot.

"Why are you worried then? You're never early for anything," Kia said, grinning. Kira frowned.

"I promised Mum that I'd be early for a change," Kira said desperately.

"That'll be the day," Kia replied snorting, returning to her drawing of a stormy sea surrounding a lone rock that had a battered shack on top of it.

"It will be _today_ if you put that stuff away and move your lazy butt!" retorted Kira, using the 'final' weapon. Kia's eyes flashed angrily, turning a deep black. She slammed her pencil down and grabbed her choir book, glaring at Kira. She stalked out of the room with Kira hurrying along. 

                                                                   ***

"Girls, _girls_!" Mrs. Shadebon tapped her baton. "We don't have time for chit chat. Now, I'd like to make an announcement – Congratulations to Kia and Kira for being on time!"

Everyone applauded sarcastically. Kia and Kira grinned embarrassedly.

"Don't expect it all the time – today's a special occasion!" replied Kia jokingly.

"And the occasion is?"

"It's Banana Day today," said Kira, straight faced. The choir laughed.

"Banana Day? Ok, the one we started last week…" 

"_I Still Call Australia Home_?" suggested Amy, a girl up the front.

"Yes, yes. On three; right, one, two, three."

"_I've been to cities that never close down,_" sang Kira, 

"_From New York to Rome, and Old London Town,_" joined in Kia, whose voice was different to Kira's. Both of them in unity sounded divine.

"_But no matter how far, or how wide I roam, I still call Australia home…_"

And then the rest of the choir filled the hall with a sound to be compared with the angels in heaven.

"_I love being free._"

"Stupid ho," muttered Kira, directing her comment at Kia.

"_And so I believe in the sun and the sea._"

"Stuck up, prissy bitch," whispered Kia, nudging her Twin.

"_I still call Australia home._"

"Slut," they said together.

"ENOUGH!" yelled Mrs. Shadebon. Everyone stopped. "Do you two want a detention?"

"I will not be swayed but your sweet words of temptation!" Kira said.

"In other words - no," translated Kia, glaring at _her_ Twin. 

"Well, sort it out you two!" Mr.s.. Shadebon said angrily. "From the second verse, one two three!"

"_All the sons and daughters._"

"I _did_ promise Mum," reminded Kira quietly.

"_Away from their family and friends_."

"So?" said Kia, shrugging her shoulders.

"_And as the world gets colder, and colder._"

"So, I had to keep that promise. You _know _what Mum's like with promises."

"You still didn't have to yell at me though," sulked Kia.

"Anyone wouldn't know you're the oldest," muttered Kira irritably under her breath.

"_When all of the ships, return to the shore._"

**"What?"******

"I'm sorry for yelling at you, alright?" mumbled Kira, urgently aware of Mrs. Shadebon looking at them.

"I dunno, why should I forgive yo- ow!"

Kira nudged Kia and nodded towards Mrs. Shadebon. They both smiled and waved to her. She was not impressed.

"That's why," said Kira through her teeth.

"Oh. Right. Ok," said Kia. Kira rolled her eyes.

"I swear girl, one day your life span's going to shorten quite considerably," thought Kira.

~*~

"Hey, Hermione – is Hedwig back yet?" Harry asked, leaning on the door of her room. She stood up and hastily stuffed a black lacy garment in her trunk.

"Uh … n-no. I don't know."

Harry snickered. "Wait till I tell Ron you've got a black lace tho-,"

"_Don't tell Ron,_" was all Hermione could manage to reply before slamming the door in Harry's grinning face. His smile faded and he turned away, stunned. His Hermione was growing up! Ron was coming up the stairs. 

"Tell me what?" Ron said, a quizzical expression on his face.

"Oh, nothing," Harry smirked, and went into their room to continue packing.

"What?" persisted Ron. Hermione had insisted that she and Krum were just friends – and Ron had then tried to find out everything about her that he could. 

"I'm sure that it won't take you long to find out yourself," said Harry with meaning. Ron gave up with a sigh.

"Hey," he said, "We haven't got our letters."

"Remus told me that we won't need them."

"Oh, right." All was silent for a minute until Ginny ran into their room. 

"Hide me!" she pleaded to Harry.

"Why?"

"Just, please!" Harry was touched by the urgency in her voice.

"Oh, alright. In here," Harry shoved Ginny unceremoniously into the now empty closet. Just as Harry shut the door, George ran into the room. 

"Seen Gin?" he panted.

"Nope – haven't seen her all day," Harry lied. 

"Oh, ok," and he ran out again. Harry pulled open the door.

"Explain why I just lied to George," 

"Well…"

"_The TRUTH_"

"Oh, alright. Fred and George were teasing Hermione about a certain garment of hers, so I turned Fred into a pig to match his personality. I was going to do George too, alas the time ran out before I had to make my escape." 

Ron snorted, but Harry managed to keep a straight face

"Hagrid tried to turn Dudley into a pig once," he said, "It didn't quite work out, though. Dudley ended up with a curly tail. He had to have it surgically removed in a private hospital." Ginny giggled.

"That sounds like Hagrid," she said. Something clicked in Harry's brain.

"Wait a second!" he exclaimed. "How did you know such an advanced spell?"

"Hermione told me," Ginny said, shrugging.

"Makes sense," Harry nodded. Then he began unpacking the bureau that he and Ron shared whenever he came over. "You'd better go and finish packing," he said, "we're leaving tomorrow."

"Yes sir!" Ginny gave him a mock salute and marched out.

~*~

"Oof!" Kia grunted, hefting her heavy backpack onto her back. Her poor muscles protested for a moment, before she got used to the extra weight.

She slammed her locker shut, spun the combination around a few times, and turned around, just it time to slam straight into Motoki Li, the cute Asian Exchange Student. She promptly dropped her armful of English and History books on the floor. Her cheeks reddened and she knelt down to pick them up, just as Motoki did, causing them to bump heads.

Kia quickly backed away, tripped over a bag and landed on the floor of the hallway. The carpet, while doing a little to save her posterior from injury, did absolutely nothing for her pride.

Meanwhile, Motoki had picked up all her books and was holding them under one arm. The other was extended to help her up. Kia took his hand, and got up, noting with a slight shiver that his hand wasn't sweaty, unlike the hands of most boys she knew. Although this _didn't_ prove that she had a fetish for hands!

"Thanks," she mumbled, her cheeks burning. Motoki grinned, a dimple appearing in one cheek. He handed Kia her books.

"You...aren't…welcome?" He said haltingly. He frowned. "Sorry. You…is… welcome???" He looked hopeful. Kia hid a grin.

"You speak English well," she told him, speaking slowly. 

"Thank you," Motoki replied, his delight at being understood showing clearly on his face. Kia guessed that he'd learnt the correct Western way to respond to a compliment, as Asians traditionally denied any compliment – which Kira found very frustrating, explaining why she had no Asian friends. "Are…you…hurt?"

"No, I'm fine. I'm sorry I bumped into you."

"It is good," Motoki said, waving one hand. They grinned at each other, Kia clutching her books, and Motoki holding his laptop.  (Which he'd put on the ground while helping Kia up.) Kira shattered the moment.

"Kia! Get your arse into gear! Mum wants us home by four!" She held up the mobile that the twins shared. Kia sighed.

"Right. See you later, Motoki."

"Hi!" Motoki called after her retreating back.

~*~

Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys all stood on Platform 9 and ¾, waiting for the 2 o'clock train. Apparently, there were two trains that went to Hogsmeade from King's Cross everyday; the 11 am and the 2 pm. 

Ginny, who had been the one to inform a rather surprised Dream Team of this fact, smirked smugly the whole while. Harry knew that she was thinking about their second year, he just _knew_ it!

Finally the train arrived. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny and the twins all turned to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Mrs. Weasley suddenly threw her arms around as many of them as she could, Ginny managing to skip out into safety, sobbing loudly.

"Mum!!" Ginny complained; "It's wet enough outside without you flooding in here too!"

"I'm sorry," Mrs. Weasley sniffed, "B-but I'm going to miss you all so m-much!" she burst into tears again, and pressed kisses to all of their cheeks, before stepping back and crying all over Mr. Weasley's shirt. Harry was bewildered. Why was she so upset!?!

"Take it easy Mum, we're only going to Hogwarts," Ron muttered crossly, his ears going red. A thought struck Harry suddenly, and he turned to Ginny, since she was the closest.

"Why are Fred and George going back to Hogwarts?" he murmured out of the corner of his mouth. "They left last year."

"How could we forget!" muttered Ginny, her eyes going round as she contemplated this, her freckled face confused. "I never thought of that!" She exclaimed, "I wonder why?" She sighed. "I guess we'll find out when we get to school, just like Remus said." Harry nodded in agreement.

"I suppose we will."


	3. Ch 2: Accents and Reverse Psychology

Title: Hey, Where Are the Kangaroos?

Authors: Silver Sparklze and The Great Muses

Summary: When Voldemort starts to wonder why Virginia Weasley managed to escape him so long ago, not only are Harry and his friends in danger, the rest of Hogwarts is too. So Professor Dumbledore hatches a brilliant plan to send Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and the twins Fred and George, to the last place on Earth that Voldemort would _ever_ look for them…Australia.

Chapter Title: Accents and Reverse Psychology

Author's Notes: This story was written by both Silver Sparklze and The Great Muses. We hope you like it, and review accordingly. In other words, review or we'll stop writing. We're kinda disappointed. Only four reviews…we'd hoped for more. But thank you to the people that _did_ review!

Reviewer's Acknowledgement: _Potterholicnumerouno: _Thanks. Here's the next bit =)

_Duke20104:_ Well, your feeling was right, as you can see. Why are you confused? It the story hard to follow? Sorry.

_Ash Vault Rose Garden: _thanks, glad you like it =)

_JamieBell: _yes, yes it is =)

~*~

Kia and Kira burst through their front door, and stood in the hallway. Kia doubled over, fighting against the blackness that hovered on the edge of her mind. Slowly, but surely, her lungs began to work again, and the asthma attack that threatened to take over her senses dissipated.

Kira, who had been watching Kia's battle with consciousness, hurried over to the fridge and grabbed two diet cokes. She handed one to Kia, who drank it gratefully.

"That was a bad one, you ok?" Kira asked anxiously.

"I'm fine. Thanks." Kia said, brushing the red curls out of her eyes. "Where's Mum?"

"Dunno, let's find her. MUM!" Kia winced, as Kira's loud voice reverberated through the big house.

Moments later, their mother, a pretty woman with blonde hair and the same oceanic blue eyes as her daughters, bustled into the kitchen.

"Oh, good, you're home." Diana Blythe exclaimed. She checked her watch, "and right on time, too!"

"Yes, why did you wants us home so early?" Kira asked her directly. They'd both had plenty of experience with Diana's skirting around the topic, but, unlike Kia, she just didn't have the patience.

"Well…"Diana looked a bit guilty, "girls, I know I promised that I wouldn't say people could stay during term time, after last term's fiasco…but…"

"Mum!" The normally docile Kia exclaimed, "you _promised_! You _know_ what happened when you allowed those St. Margaret's girls to stay!"

St. Margaret's was the recently co-ed Catholic College, and Tabanca High School's greatest rival since Kia and Kira attended Tabanca HS, the relationship between the twins and the brother and sister (Aileen and Tommy Mannings) who attended St. Margaret's had been tense at best.

Especially since Tommy and Aileen had been rich, snobby brats who'd expected Diana to do everything for them. Kia and Kira had finally snapped one night, and had put spiders, snakes, and other creepy crawlies in Aileen's bed, causing the bitchy blonde to practically have a coronary. The Twins had felt better, but, for some strange reason, the Mannings duo left soon afterwards.

Kira placed a restraining arm upon Kia's arm, knowing that if she didn't stop her twin, the spluttering redhead would continue her spiel until she ran out of air.

"Ok, Mum," she said once Kia had fallen silent, "give it to us straight. Who are they and how long are they going to be staying? Oh, and what school do they go to?"

"There're six of them. Four boys and two girls." Diana tugged on a golden lock that had escaped from her braid. "They're around your age. According to the head of their boarding school they'll be here for a term or two, including the holidays. And…they're from England."

"Oh, well, that's just _great_." Kia said sarcastically. "How nice. What're they gonna do, wave their magic wands and 'poof' they're at school every morning?"

"Don't be silly, Kia." Diana said, "they're transferring to your school."

"What happens if we don't _want_ to walk with them?" Kira inquired icily.

"What happens if we get…'lost'?" Kia added.

"You'll be grounded!" Diana replied, her temper finally snapping. "And I don't want to hear another word about it!"

"Well so-rry." Kia muttered, turning to walk up the stairs.

"Our apologies for breathing." Kira added, storming up after her. Moments later, the Twins' door slammed, and loud rock music could be heard throughout the house.

                                                ~*~

Harry glanced out the window as the train rocked from side to side. It was raining, and every so often little hailstones would tap on the window.

"I hate English winters." He muttered to himself, thinking about the travel brochure he'd once read on the Caribbean, which had promoted 'hot, sunny days, and cool, balmy nights'.

"What was that?" Asked Ginny. Harry sighed.

"Never mind."

"Hey," Ginny's voice softened. "Ron and Hermione can't practice Charms forever. You'll have them back before too long. Besides," she brightened, "you could hang around with me!" Harry's spirits slumped even further. Ginny didn't seem to notice, as an evil grin spread over her face. "We _could _send Crookshanks to 'check up' on them."

"_What_?"

"I have a…'curious affinity' with Crookshanks," Ginny smiled a secret smile.

"Why all the mystery?"

"Feel like it." Ginny said enigmatically, turning to the ginger cat-thing, "Crookshanks _leave Hermione and Ron alone._" She enunciated every word like it was important.

"_Why the mystery?_" Harry persisted.

"Well, you know how I'm attractive and _totally_ irresistible, well, let's just say I'm _foxy._" She laughed at his expression and poked her head of the carriage door. "Come here," she whispered, "Crookshanks is nearly at their door."

Moments later someone yelped in pain, and a distinctly female voice which they recognized as Hermione's yelled,

"_CROOKSHANKS!!_" Harry and Ginny couldn't help but burst into laughter. Moments later, Hermione and Ron burst into Harry and Ginny's compartment. The mischievous duo had a hard time hiding their mirth.

"Have fun practicing Charms?" Harry asked, trying his hardest not to laugh. His eyes swept over Ron and Hermione's flustered appearance.

"Yes – Ron," Hermione turned to the scarlet-eared redhead, "I think you need to work on your dampening charm."

"Yes, ma'am." Ron saluted her with a silly grin on his face. He then put his arm around her and they sauntered out. Ginny looked forlornly at the door, and Harry was struck by how pretty she was. He looked out the window, wishing he could think of something to say – just to break this awkward silence.

"I broke up with Dean on the holidays." Ginny said quietly. 

"Why?" Harry asked, surprised. Ginny shrugged,

"He wasn't right for me. And…" she paused, obviously thinking about what to say next. Harry tried to read her expression in the window, which he was still staring out of. _Oh, what the heck,_ thought Ginny, "And…I had you around, and I felt guilty knowing that I was going out with Dean, but that I really wanted to be with you."

Harry reddened. _You blew it; she doesn't like you anymore._ His mouth was dry; it felt as if it were full of sawdust. "I – I – mean…I'm sorry," Ginny continued, "because I know you probably don't like me the same way, but I'm just letting you know."

Ginny got up and left, just as Harry managed to get over the shock and open his mouth. He closed it again, and banged his head against the glass window. He sat there for 5 minutes mulling over what Ginny said, then got up and decided to find her. He walked past the compartment Ron and Hermione were in, and got an eyeful of parts of his brunette friend he would rather have not seen. Harry tried not to think about it, and eventually found Ginny crying in the last compartment. She hurriedly wiped away her tears when she saw Harry enter. "I – I…" she stuttered as Harry walked over to her and looked into her eyes. He took her hand and she stood up, still stuttering.

"Ginny," Harry said gently, "you have no idea how much that comment meant to me. Er…the one about wanting to be with me instead of Dean." He led her over to one of the seats, and sat her down, before sitting beside her.

Ginny opened her mouth to say something, but Harry quickly stopped her. "No, wait," he said, "you've already showed how brave you are, and I really need to say this before I lose my nerve." He paused, "or my lunch." Ginny giggled, and Harry grinned. He'd said that specifically to make her smile. "Anyway," he continued, gathering up all his courage, and wondering why it was so much harder to say what he was about to say, rather than face Voldemort. " I – I – I…Ilikeyoutoo, andIhopethattakingsolongtoanswerhasn'truinedmychances." He was babbling, trying to get it all out before he lost his nerve. Ginny blinked.

"What? I don't under…_oh_!" A beatific smile spread over her face, and she hugged Harry suddenly, causing Harry's whole face to flush scarlet. Just as quickly as she'd smiled she became serious again. "So what are we now?" She asked. 

"We're…" Harry's voice trailed off. What _were_ they? Boyfriend and Girlfriend seemed too weak. Harry studied Ginny's face, memorizing every freckle as he stalled for time. He noted the tiny upward tilt of her nose, the small dimple in her left cheek that gave her a somewhat lopsided, endearing smile, and the slightly higher arch of her left eyebrow, which made her look faintly amused all the time. "We're…us?" He asked hopefully. Ginny smiled, and lace her fingers through his.

"Yes," she said, "we're us."

                                                ~*~

"This sucks." Kia said grumpily, rearranging her CDs so that they were categorised by artist.

"You realise that they were already sorted by genre, don't you?" Kira asked from her bed, where she was strumming on her guitar. Both girls were very musical, and knew how to play the guitar, piano, and the flute.

"When did that happen?" Kia asked, beginning to rearrange her pencils.

"Yesterday, when Andrea O'Hara told you that your painting of a bird looked more like a ruptured spleen." Kira made a note in her songbook.

"Oh, yeah…" Kia growled, eyes darkening even further until they were the colour of storm-tossed waves.

"Hey!" Kira grinned suddenly, eyes brightening to teal, "I have an idea!"

"Alert the media."

"It'll confuse the pommies." Kia looked interested, her ever-changing eyes focusing on her identical Twin,

"Oh yeah? What?"

"Well, we're aussies, right?"

"Right…" Kia wondered where this was going.

"And they're pommies. And what do pommies think about aussies?" Kira looked at Kia expectantly.

"That we ride wombats to school?"

"No! As far as they know, we have a completely different language, i.e.; 'fair dinkum, mate!'" Kira giggled, putting on an over-exaggerated Hollywood-style Australian accent, eyes sparkling the colour of a tropical ocean in her amusement…


	4. Ch 3: Land of EyeJarring Halter Tops

Title: Hey, Where Are the Kangaroos?

Authors: Silver Sparklze and The Great Muses

Summary: When Voldemort starts to wonder why Virginia Weasley managed to escape him so long ago, not only are Harry and his friends in danger, the rest of Hogwarts is too. So Professor Dumbledore hatches a brilliant plan to send Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and the twins Fred and George, to the last place on Earth that Voldemort would _ever_ look for them…Australia.

Chapter Title: Land of Eye-Jarring Halter Tops

Ash's and Telly's Notes: Telly: I'm sorry this has taken so long to come out!

Ash: It's all my fault. Wish I could blam the beta, but she's great. I lost the chapter, then my computer went boom, and I've only just managed to find the chapter again. I was too busy to retype it…or is it too lazy?

Reviewer Response:

_JamieBell:_ Thanks; you're a great reviewer. Chapter 10 of Curse of Time is up too if you want to have a look at it.

_Swishy Willow Wand: _Thanks, glad you like it.

_GNatgirl: _thanks .

_Celticas:_ thanks, glad you like it.

_Australian Gurl:_ We're Aussies too, and we love writing this because we actually know about the places we're talking about. Ash: I've been to the church (you'll find out about that later), to Kia and Kira's house (it's based on a friend's), to the shopping centre, to the park, the cemetery, and the school is based on my high school.

_ash vault rose garden: _Indeed it is. Thanks, we're glad you like it.

_Sage:_ Ash: ::laughs:: don't worry, some people don't know what pommy is. A pommy is someone who's English. When the convicts came to Australia they had P.O.H.M on the backs of their shirts (Prisoner Of His Majesty). From that, you get the word Pom. Say POHM, and that's how it sounds. Get it now?

_Anonymous:_ We already have the draft finished, just gotta polish it up and type it.

_Lianghwei:_ glad you like it. Here's the next installment.

_Widz:_ Ash: Really? I did too for a while. Pennant Hills.

_Harry-potter-luva14:_ Sorry it's taken us so long to update.

_Skittles713:_ You jinxed us! That's why it's taken so long. Lol, sorry for the wait.

_Jemmahelloash: _Ash: Hey babes, thanks for reviewing, that was really sweet of you. You didn't have to you know. ::points to them.:: That's my little sisters! ::grins::

* * *

Chapter 3

Ron, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and the twins headed for Dumbledore's office, all feeling rather nervous.

At the beginning of Harry's sixth year, Ginny had had a long talk with him, although Harry had been a bit – try extremely – reluctant at first. But Ginny had just kept talking until Harry began replying. Privately, Ginny thought it was the mention of the up-coming croqueting competition between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, and Harry's prowess at the art that had tricked him into talking. It was a good thing too, since Ron and Hermione had gradually become closer throughout that year, until they had finally admitted their feelings, and started dating. This had sometimes had the effect of making Harry feel like a third wheel, something that Ginny had tried to correct by keeping him occupied as much as possible. So she'd had ulterior motives, mainly that she could gaze at him without him noticing. She didn't think anyone would have be-grudged her that. Much to Ginny's delight, and the rest of the school's consternation, Ginny discovered that Harry had a mischievous streak which matched her own. This had caused the duo to become pranksters rivaling in expertise to Fred and George, and the Marauders!

Ginny was pulled out of her reverie when the group reached the gargoyle that sat in front of Dumbledore's office.

Harry spoke the password, and they all walked up the stairs and into the circular room.

Moments later, they were standing in front of the headmaster, waiting for him to speak. The venerable wizard continued to read the papers in front of him, finishing each one and stacking it neatly before looking up and smiling at them all. "Ah, good. Now…where did I put that paperwork? I'm sure it's here somewhere…" Dumbledore rummaged through his desk, and finally emerged with some rather official looking documents; written on…was that muggle paper?!

Harry and Ginny exchanged a look.

"Now, the reason I called you here-"

"Professor, if this is about pansy Parkinson being turned into an ostrich on the train at the end of last year, Ron and Hermione had nothing to do with it," Ginny said hurriedly, "it was all Harry's and I."

"No, Miss Weasley, this has nothing to do with Miss Parkinson's…unfortunate accident, although I'm sure you'll be glad to know she is no longer plunging her head into imaginary holes, "

Harry and Ginny winced.

"At the slightest sign of danger. What it is about, well…" Dumbledore paused, "Harry, you know you are in trouble regards Lord Voldemort,"

Ron and Ginny flinched.

"Unfortunately, Severus is no longer as trustworthy, so far as Voldemort, is concerned, and our newest spy is not yet high enough to be of much help, especially where your assassination is concerned. However, he has discovered one thing. Voldemort has decided to come into Hogwarts and get you himself."

"But Professor, that's not possible!" Hermione cried, "…is it?"

"Unfortunately, Hermione, it is." Dumbledore said gravely. "While Voldemort was at school, he was a great student, and very curious. He found many of the passageways into and around Hogwarts, some that not even Argus Filch and I know about. Some that not even Sirius and Remus most likely know about, although he'd be a bit hard-pressed to find more than a couple. Therefore, it would be quite easy for him to kidnap Harry."

"Not going to happen." Ron growled.

Hermione and the twins nodded.

Only Ginny didn't. "Are you crazy?!" she yelped.

"No, Ginny, I can assure you that my sanity is indeed up to scratch, contrary to popular belief," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled for a moment before becoming grave again. "But is Harry is to remain here he will put not only his life at risk, but the rest of the castles' as well."

"Oh," Ginny responded, going pale. "What are you going to do?"

"Send you all away."

"You are crazy!" Was followed by,

"Over my dead body!"

"What has that go to do with us?!" Fred asked. "Not," he hastily added, "that we wouldn't do anything for Harry."

"Actually, Mr. Weasley," talking to Fred, "it would be more likely to be over Ginny's dead body. It seems Voldemort is suddenly very interested in how, and why, Ginny managed to escape his clutches during her first year, and why he was able to hold him off for so long. He wants to figure it out."

The Weasleys went pale.

"You mean to say Voldemort is after my sister?" Ron said incredulously.

"We're screwed." George said faintly.

"Although I am not aware of the meaning of that particular colloquium, I am sure it is not appropriate. Aside from that, you are not 'screwed'. Once Severus has told Voldemort that you have run away, he'll spend all his time looking for you, and the castle will be safe. It won't be for long," Dumbledore added quickly, seeing their protests, "just for a few terms, and the holidays. Just until Voldemort trusts Severus and our newest spy."

"But what about school?" Hermione protested, "We'll fall so behind!"

"On the contrary, Hermione, I would never allow that to happen. You will, of course, be sent schoolwork, and be expected to do it, and send it here for grading. However, unless you need to use magic, we would prefer you didn't, it will attract Voldemort's attention, since we are sending you to a place where there are no magical people, not to mention the MOM wouldn't be very happy."

"Where are we going?" Ginny asked.

Harry listened eagerly, although he already suspected.

"To the last place that Voldemort would ever look…Muggle Australia."

* * *

Kia looked out of the car window down at the Yarra River glumly. "Remind me again why we are wasting a perfectly good Saturday in Melbourne of all places," she said, turning to face Kira, "when I could be finishing off my painting of the shack?"

Kira rolled her eyes. "Dude – Chadstone has this massive back-to-school sail going on. Every store will have at least 20% off, if not more. Let's face it; you've had those folders since year 7. If anything, I'd think you had some sort of…emotional attachment to them or something. And you need new clothes."

"WHAT?!" Kia shrieked.

"Kia. Keep it down!" Their mother ordered.

Kia shifted uncomfortably. "What ever happened to not caring about your appearance? That if a guy only liked you for your looks, he wasn't worth it?" She demanded.

Kira rolled her eyes. "Well…think about it. They're English, right? What about Orlando Bloom?"

"What about him?"

"He's _English_!"

"Is he? Cool. Look – not all English guys are cute. Seen Mr. Bean lately?"

"Ok, ok, I get it, we can cut out the new clothes. But we _do_ need new school books."

Kia looked as if she was having second thoughts. "Actually…clothes shopping ain't such a bad idea…"

* * *

"_No. Way._"

"Come on, Kia, it suits you!"

Kia looked around, and lowered her voice. "Over my dead body." She hissed, stalking into the change room and whipping it off, shoving her own t-shirt back on just as quickly, then shoving the top into Kira's arms, "Put. It. Back. _Now_."

"Alright, alright, _settle_," grumbled Kira, putting the orange and blue halter-top back on the rack. She was regretting ever offering to take Kia shopping. The slightly more conservative, shyer redhead was so difficult.

Kia grinned. "Remind me _not_ to let you be in charge of the clothes that I'm going to wear at my funeral," she joked, "I might end up pushing up the daisies in a blue and orange halter-top."

Kira's bad mood vanished, and she laughed at the image of a skeleton wearing the halter-top.

"Let's break for lunch," Kia suggested, heading out of _Sportsgirl,_ "how _anyone_ can shop for four hours straight is beyond me, but 2 and a ½ is just fine."

"Oof!" Was Kira's response as she bumped into a person and went flying, her numerous shopping bags tipping their contents all over the startled redhead.

"I'm sorry, are you alright?" Kira removed a rather short skirt from her face, and glared at the teenager responsible for her current position.

"Do I look like I'm alright?" she demanded, having recognised first the voice, then the person.

Kia helped her up. "Perhaps you should look where you're going, Paul." She spat, eyes flashing. She didn't like Paul Cummings any more than her twin did, for all they'd been best friends in Nursery School. Now was a different story.

"I couldn't, Kia, sweet," Paul said smoothly, "I was too busy looking at your beautiful sister. Pity you don't have her looks."

Kia rolled her eyes. "We're identical, you arse."

"Well, she sort of…_shines_ with a light you don't have, I suppose. Probably why she gets the guys and you don't."

"Say another word about her and I'll knock you into next year." Kira snapped, "and don't look at me."

"I can't help it, you're so beautiful."

"And I s'pose you except me to say 'gosh, he's looking handsome today', and melt into a quivering puddle of hormones?"

"It'd be nice." Paul shrugged. "No, seriously, don't. I've gotten enough of that today. 'Oh, he's so cute!' 'I wonder if he has a girlfriend!'." He mocked, pulling a face. "Man, don't you girls _realise_ that half the time we can hear you?"

"Well, that means you'll hear every word of this," Kira said sweetly, "I despise you. Keep your pretty blue eyes, your styled hair, and your cute arse the f away from me."

"You think I have a cute arse?" Paul asked, looking delighted.

"You know you do. Now leave before I rearrange that Hollywood-worthy face of yours into something that not even your mother could love."

"But I just wanted to have lunch with you, Kira." Paul protested

**((snorkle, I just _love_ alliteration))******

"Sorry, my schedule's full. 12 o'clock; lunch with Kia, 12.30, beat high score on _Death Row_, 1 o'clock, boy-scouting and bargain hunting on the boardwalk, I _can't_ keep putting that off, then 1.30 time to head home. Perhaps another time."

"Come on, _surely_ you can blow off your _sister_. I mean; you won't get too many chances to go out with _me_." Paul grinned, and both of the twins had to restrain the urge to slap him; hard.

"Word of advice, the way to a girl's heart is _not_ by dissing their sister." Kira snarled.

"And if you ever talk about me like that again you'll be spitting teeth for a month." Kia added. They stormed off.


	5. Ch 4: Uniforms

Title: Hey, Where Are the Kangaroos?

Authors: Silver Sparklze and The Great Muses

Summary: When Voldemort starts to wonder why Virginia Weasley managed to escape him so long ago, not only are Harry and his friends in danger, the rest of Hogwarts is too. So Professor Dumbledore hatches a brilliant plan to send Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and the twins Fred and George, to the last place on Earth that Voldemort would _ever_ look for them…Australia.

Chapter Title: Uniforms

Ash's and Telly's Notes: Ash: Do you like it? O.O

Reviewer Response:

_JamieBell:_ Well you didn't review, but I (Ash) thought I'd tell you that chapter 13 of Curse of Time is up. Thus ends my shameless plug.

_Lianghwei:_ The pranks will be coming soon, don't worry.

_The No Life King of Denton:_ Thanks, we're glad you like it.

* * *

"To get to Australia, we have decided to send you by _Cross-Country Floo._ One of our agents in Australia will take you to the safe house, or the school, depending. You're very lucky to be going at this time of year, since their school year has just started. All of you will be attending the same Muggle High School, Tabanca High. The twins will be in year 12, and you other four will be in year 11. Even you, Ginny, although you are only 16 this year, a year younger than most of the year 11's. You'll leave tonight at 10 o'clock, from the Great Hall fireplace, good luck." Dumbledore's final words just seemed to dismiss them, so they all left. 

At about 9:30 that night Harry was summoned to see Dumbledore. He went immediately, wracking his brains for a reason.

Dumbledore smiled when he entered, but it didn't reach his eyes, which were troubled, and devoid of their usual twinkle. "I'm glad you came." He said, puzzling Harry even more. "While you are in Australia, I want to refrain from using magic as much as possible. But if there is an emergency, you may, of course, use any magic you deem necessary.

"The thing is, there's a reason behind us sending you to Tabanca High. Recently, our magic sensors have been going crazy, as have those of the Australian Ministry of Magic. Since Mr. Fudge and the Australian Minister, Miss Law, are in direct correspondence, we have been informed of the problem. The fact that the Dark Magic has reached _our_ sensors means that this is a gigantic amount of Black Magic, and needs to be taken care of as soon as possible.

"You four have a large history in solving riddles, and finding the perpetrators of all sorts of crimes, so we thought we'd kill two birds with one stone. It will give you something to do while you're in Australia, and will definitely help everyone involved.

"We need you to find the wielder, or _wielders_ of this Dark Magic, and inform us. We cannot risk letting anything slide right now. Can you do that for me, Harry? You can, of course, get help from your friends, but I though it was best to have you explain it to them, especially Ginny. I noticed that she has a particular…dislike for anything to do with evil."

Harry nodded, his brain trying to process exactly what he'd heard.

"Good. You'd better go to the Great Hall, or the others might leave without you."

"Ok, bye, Professor."

"Goodbye, Harry."

* * *

"I am _not_ wearing this!" Kia said loudly, indicating to her school dress. She'd grown over the hols, and the skirt of her school dress was, in her opinion, dangerously short. 

"Why not?" Kira asked, peering into the mirror so she could put on her mascara, "it's still longer than mine. Besides, you've got great legs."

"This from the girl who wanted me to buy a blue and orange halter top." Kia grumbled, but she zipped up the dress anyway, and yanked her hot pink boxers up a bit higher.

Their school dress was mainly white and blue plaid shot through with yellow and green stitching. Regulation said that it was to be no higher than mid-thigh, and no longer than mid-calf, so there was no way Kia could hide behind the rules.

Kia wandered over to the mirror, and chose a light teal eye shadow that brought out the green in her eyes.

"So what's the occasion?" Kira asked, threading dark blue ribbon through the multitude of braids in her red-gold hair.

"Huh?" Kia wasn't really listening, being too busy outlining her eyes in dark green.

"The makeup. Hoping to see Motoki-the-hottie?" Kia flushed, and Kira grinned wickedly. "Ah hah! Caught you."

"Shut up, Kira. For your information, we've got choir today, and we're doing a _duet_ remember?"

"Sugar, you're right!" Kira pushed Kia away from the mirror, and began to redo her hair.

* * *

"You're late." Miss Shadebon said sternly. 

"Bus," Kira lied smoothly, "what song are we doing?"

"_Stand_." Miss Shadebon snapped; lips pursed. It was obvious that she'd lost the argument over the newest song.

"Right," Kia said, grinning._ Stand_ was her favourite song.

She and Kira walked over to the stage, and began to sing.__

_"Went down to the corner shop,_

_"Saw a shop-lifting cop"_ Kia sang,

_"Saw an old lady with a gun,_

_Saw the hero try to run"_ Kira continued. They both began to sing together, just as six people about their age walked in with Amy Shadebon, one of the office helpers for the week. They kept singing regardless, the choir joining in. 

_"Mothers weep, children sleep,_

_"So much violence ends in silence._

_"It's a shame there's no one to blame,_

_"For all the pain that life brings._

_"If you would just take me,_

_"You might just complete me,_

_And together we can make a stand."_

They stopped when Miss Shadebon made a 'cut' motion with her hands. "Yes?" She said to Amy, her niece, and the twins' arch-nemesis.

"Could I please talk to Kira and Kiarna Blythe?" Amy asked, all sugar and sweetness.

"Fcking hell, she's so sweet, I'm getting cavities." Kira muttered.

Kia snorted, trying to contain her amusement.

"Kiarna, Kira, you heard Amy. Off you go." Miss Shadebon snarled.

Kia and Kira followed Amy to the other end of the room.

"Here're your frickin' exchange students." Amy snapped. "Can't you take care of your own crap?"

"Shut up, puss-brain." Kia shot back.

Amy clenched her fists, flushing bright red from the top of her bottle-blonde hair to the tips of her designer shoes. The one blot on her perfect existence was that she'd once had terrible acne, something that neither Kia nor Kira ever let her forget. "Whatever. See you later, choir girls." She flipped her hair over her shoulder, and swanned out, leaving Kia and Kira seething, eyes black with anger.

"Er…hi?" one of the kids, a girl around their age with wild brown hair said, looking a bit uncertain.

Kira switched on the accent and the perkiness so fast Kia expected to see her head spin.

"G'day, mate!" she said, grinning, "Kira Blythe's the name. This here's my sis Kia. Wanna come for a peeky 'round the gaol cells before tuck time?"

The two twin boys, who, until now had been silent, grinned. It was obvious that they liked the look of the two girls before them. "Cool." They said in unison.

"I'm Fred Weasley." Said one,

"And I'm George." Added the other.

"Kia 'n' Kira." Kia said, pointing to herself, and her sister.

"Huh?" The redhead boy asked.

The red-haired girl rolled her eyes. "Hello," she said loudly, "my name is Ginny. These are my friends, and the twins, and clod head are my brothers. We come in peace. Do you speak English?"

"'Nough yakkity, let's split," Kia said in reply, putting on a Hollywood accent so strong even she didn't understand.

"My name's Hermione Granger." The brunette offered.

"Wha's your tag?" Kia asked the 'clod head', "name's not clod head, yeah?"

"Ron, and this is Harry Potter." The red-haired boy grunted, pointing to the boy who had a black mop instead of hair.

Kia and Kira looked at one another. "Word." They said in unison.

"Look, do you speak English or not?" Ginny snapped, "because we don't understand your preppy Valley Girl crap."

"Hey!" Kia exclaimed, "we aren't Valley Girls! Nor are we preps. Want preps, gotta go to St. Margies."

"So you _do_ speak English." Hermione said slyly.

"'Course! Australia was _colonised_ by England." Kira snapped. "Ruddy Poms." She continued under her breath.

"Hey!" Ginny yelped, "I heard that!"

"Build a bridge and get over it." Kira replied, looking bored. "We gonna go see the school or not?"

"Because if we are," Kia continued, "then we can get your uniforms at the same time."

The six English kids exchanged glances. The kind that said 'whoa, freaky'. These girls changed moods _so_ quickly!

"Uh…ok…" Ron said.

"Great." Kia grabbed the arms of the two girls, looping them through her own, "to the canteen! That rank-smelling, unhygienic, cockroach and rat infested pathetic excuse for an eating establishment!" She and Kira shared a grin, and she continued, "which reminds me, we have lunch duty tomorrow."

"I thought it was today." Kira said in confusion.

"Nope, I bribed two little year sevens who'd never done it before to take our place." Kia's eyes danced with mischief.

"Ooh, you wicked, wicked girl," Kira said happily, "I knew there was a manipulative, sly, conniving bone in your body _somewhere._"

Kia laughed. "Well don't get used to it," she said, "I felt really guilty…not so guilty, though, that I would give them their lunch-time back." The twins led Harry, Hermione, and the Weasley quartet to the canteen.

"Lunch duty?" Harry asked.

"So you _can_ talk!" Kia said, with the air of one who had just discovered a State Secret, "I thought you might be deaf, or mute!" She clapped a hand over her mouth almost immediately, eyes wide, "sorry!" She squealed.

Harry smiled. "I can talk, and I assure you my hearing is quite adequate." He said.

"Oh…anyway…lunch duty…Kira, how does one describe the most hated chore, the most disgusting twist on equality and fairness, the most horrifying, scarring for life job in the whole world?" Kia queried.

"I think you just did," Kira said dryly.

"Did I? Well, for those who have no idea, lunch duty in something between working at the local fish 'n' chips store, and throwing chickens to crocodiles. Disgusting, scarring, frightening, and the pay is terrible. In the case of Tabanca High, the pay is non-existent."

_"This job ain't worth the pay, can't wait 'til the end of the day, honey, I'm on my way."_ Kira said, lips quirking.

Hermione and Kia giggled.

"You've heard of Shania Twain?" Kia asked Hermione in surprise.

"Love her. Mum's favourite singer, and mine too by default." Hermione said, looking like she was admitting a terrible, shameful crime.

"We forgive you," Kia said, patting her arm in a comforting manner, "ah, and here we are! Our wonderful canteen. The place where we have thrown up many a meal."

All of the exchange students looked disgusted, and the twins shared a grin at the Poms' discomfort.

"Er…was this once a stable?" Ginny asked, looking at the divided doors closely as they entered the dingy carpeted building.

"How'd you know?" Kira asked by way of reply.

"Oh, I read the 'S' encyclopaedia in a muggle library."

Kira gave Ginny a weird look.

"You read encyclopaedias? Oh," she said to Ms. Watson, the Canteen Lady, and all-around sweetest woman in the whole school, even if she _did_ stinge a bit on the chocolate pudding, "we have some people who need uniforms and workbooks. They'll give you textbooks in the class," she said as an aside to the exchange students.

Ms. Watson nodded. "Ok," she said, "bring them in here so I can measure them."

Kia and Kira hustled the English teens inside the canteen, and waited patiently while Ms. Watson found the key.

"So," Kira said, grinning, "encyclopaedias, huh?"

"Yeah," Ginny said, wondering was so funny when Kira and her brothers burst out laughing. Not Ron, he was clueless as usual, but Fred and George were almost hysterical, and Harry's mouth was twitching.

She looked to Hermione for an answer, but the brunette was too busy glaring at Kira.

"It's ok, Ginny," Kia said as she struggled with the door, finally wrenching it open, allowing the musty air to spill out, "I read them too sometimes. Come in."

Ginny wrinkled her nose at the dust and spider webs that were everywhere, and noticed with some amount of pleasure that Ron slunk behind Hermione. While the Weasley house wasn't picture-perfect in any way, it was _clean_. "Sorry," Kia continued, "it hasn't been opened since December."

"That's ok-" Ginny was interrupted by Kira and the twins, who were _still_ laughing. "Give it a rest, will you?" She snapped, glaring at her twin brothers.

They looked almost scared, especially when Hermione added her own glare, as did Kia.

"Um, you mentioned…mukkles? before," said Kia, sizing Fred up for his uniform, poking him every so often with her long fingernails.

"Oh, yeah. Um…that's what I call a rich peoples' library." Ginny lied smoothly.

"There's a difference?"

"No, a library's a library. It's just where they're located."

"How did you get there, then?"

"I walked? I didn't _crawl_ there for Gods' sake." Ginny said, chuckling.

Kia handed everyone his or her uniforms and locked up. They headed towards the change rooms.

"Well," Kia gave Ginny a look that said 'duh', "living so far away on the slum side of London, not having a car, it must have taken you all day to get there! And how could you afford a 'mukkle' account when you've got to pay £2 a week?"

"I can afford £2 a week!" Ginny said hotly.

"It's ok, I won't tell anyone you guys are on a scholarship. But it's nothing to be ashamed of." Kia whispered, "I think that the school's been really good, letting you have the uniforms for free, considering your financial situation."

Ginny opened her mouth indignantly, but Harry laid a hand on her arm. She cooled down immediately and looked up at him.

"Well, didn't you wonder why she looks so great? Gin goes through books so quickly that she has to walk to the epicentre of London nearly every day. And this school is great. When we first arrived, I was so worried about fitting in. I thought, 'I won't be able to afford a uniform, so I'll be a freak.' But they've been really nice." Harry squeezed Ginny's arm gently when he mentioned not being able to afford a uniform.

"Yeah, the teachers and that might suck, but it's pretty fair. Speaking of uniforms, go and get changed." Kia pushed them into the change rooms. "We'll meet you in the canteen. We can probably get you some free food after the rush, 'k?"

"Ok," Hermione agreed on behalf of the group.

Kia and Kira left, and Hermione went to the Girls' Change Rooms to get changed.

Miraculously, the twins decided to be good, and went into the Boys' room. Ron smiled dreamily, before following them, leaving only Harry and Ginny in the foyer.

"Ok, spill." Ginny put her hands on her hips, and looked at Harry accusingly.

Harry smiled at Ginny's temper. "Don't you see?" he asked, "Dumbledore must have used that story to pass us off!"

"Oh. I though she must have somehow known that we…some of us…aren't exactly the richest people on Earth." Ginny smiled. "Well, now that we're _finally_ alone, it would be a pity not to take advantage of the opportunity." She raised her eyebrows suggestively, and Harry shook his head. Her face fell.

"No, Miss Weasley," Harry said in a low voice, "I'd much prefer to take advantage of _you_." Ginny grinned, as Harry leant forward…

"Gross! That's my sister!" Ron yelped, spoiling the moment.

Ginny glared at Ron, and went to get changed.

Harry raised his eyebrows, letting the annoyance pass as he headed into the change rooms, followed by an irate redhead.

"Keep your hands off her." Ron commanded.

"Forget it. I can't do that any more than you can keep _your_ hands off Hermione." Harry retorted. "Where's your tie?" He asked, directing Ron's attention away from his sister and best friend.

"I'm not wearing it!" Ron said in disgust, glaring at Harry, who was deftly tying the green and grey tie around his neck. "Traitor."

Harry shrugged his shoulders, and walked out. "Suit yourself."

"I swear, Voldemort must have passed more onto you than you think." Ron grumbled.

Harry rolled his eyes, checking his appearance in the mirror. Blue shirt, grey slacks, grey socks, black shoes, a green blazer. He tried to fix his hair, missing the mirror in his dorm, which always told him he was losing the battle, before following Ron and the others back to the canteen. He felt like laughing. 'Us? West Sides? Never.' He sniggered when he saw Ron glaring at all the guys, and a few of the girls too. "Ron, just because their ties are green and grey doesn't mean they're Slytherins. This school doesn't even _have_ houses. And you're going to get into trouble."

Reluctantly, Ron put on his tie, but he couldn't help glaring at himself in every window he passed, attracting many an odd look from their new school-mates…


	6. Ch 5: Coincidence

  
  
Title: Hey, Where Are the Kangaroos?

Authors: Silver Sparklze and The Great Muses

Summary: When Voldemort starts to wonder why Virginia Weasley managed to escape him so long ago, not only are Harry and his friends in danger, the rest of Hogwarts is too. So Professor Dumbledore hatches a brilliant plan to send Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and the twins Fred and George, to the last place on Earth that Voldemort would _ever_ look for them…Australia.

Chapter Title: Coincidence

Ash's and Telly's Notes: This took me (Ash) a while to type up because my handwriting's terrible. Feel proud. Very proud.

Reviewer Response: Ellemorpheus: Thanks, we're glad you like it.

* * *

As Kia and Kira led the new kids around, they chatted about what subjects they were missing.

"Studio Art," Kira said glumly. She liked Art just as much as her sister.

"Huh," Kia replied, "wish I was that lucky. I'm missing out on Psychology. I'm gonna be _swamped_!"

"Kia, look ou-" Hermione cried, and the rest of thee gang winced as Kia walked straight into a rather solid chest, bouncing back off to land on her arse.

"Ow!" She cried out in pain.

"Are you good, Kia?" Motoki asked, kneeling down next to her.

The others exchanged grins.

"She's as clumsy as Neville." Ron muttered.

"Personally, I reckon she was dropped on her head as a baby, and it rattled her brain." Kira said seriously. "That in turn affected the balance by altering the amount of fluid in her inner ear. Hence, the klutziness."

Kia glared at her twin, before turning back to Motoki, her face softening. "I'm fine." She said, accepting the Japanese teen's hand up.

"I was watching I go." Motoki said ruefully.

"You weren't watching where you were going." Kia translated. "Neither was I. Don't worry about it."

"Gonna introduce us, Kia?" Kira said loudly.

"Oh, sure. Er…Motoki, these are the English exchange students, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron, Ginny, Fred, and George Weasley. Guys, this is my friend, Motoki."

"That's how Ron and Hermione started out, too," Ginny said wickedly, deliberately needling her brother, "as _friends._"

"Witch." Kia laughed.

"I go now." Motoki said, smiling. "Bye Kia."

Ginny stiffened at Kia's comment. "Excuse me?" She asked angrily.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you." Kia hastened to apologise.

"Oh, that's alright." Ginny relaxed, smiling at her.

"Well…um…shall we?" Kira said, after a rather uncomfortable silence in which the twins pondered over the English redhead's strange behaviour, and the English students thought about the unlikely coincidence of Kia happening to call Ginny a witch only moments after meeting her.

"Oh! I forgot to tell Mum!" Kia exclaimed suddenly. "On Sunday you'll have to entertain yourselves. We have Church, then choir."

"Huh?" Ron asked.

Hermione silently begged the sky to swallow her whole and relieve her of her dense boyfriend.

"Well," Kira said, "we're Christians for one thing."

"And we _used_ to go to Bible Club every Saturday night, and give Church a miss, but a coupla weeks ago _Kira_ decided to turn up dressed like a _prostitute_, so we're banned." Kia glared at her twin, who scowled.

"They were being so rude about people who dress differently! I was proving a point! They were a bunch of bigoted Mormons anyway, always judging on appearance. They needed a wake up call."

"That didn't mean you had to turn up in a black corset top and a leather mini that hardly covered your arse." Kia snarled, quite put out she'd been banned as well. The vicar couldn't – or wouldn't – tell them apart, so he'd forbidden both of them to ever return.

"_Relax!_ You know you like Church better. We'll have an excuse to talk during the sermon, coz we're a part of the Choir."

"Whatever." Kia sneered, turning her back on her twin and taking the English students through the gym, explaining that it was the pride of the school, before beginning her rant on how they cared more about physical prowess and achievement that academic brilliance. "And at the end of every year we're forced to spend a whole day in that bloody gym, watching a bunch of barely dressed guys play basketball, while breathing in stale air that stinks of cigarette smoke, dirty socks, and sweaty unwashed men."

"Please tell me you have a library." Hermione begged.

Kia and Kira looked shocked. "Of course!" They said in unison.

* * *

Ginny and Hermione flopped on their beds in Kia and Kira's room, continuing the discussion they'd been having about sex.

"You know, I've always loved the term 'scattering wild oats'." Ginny commented.

"Yeah. I mean, losing your virginity sounds rather careless, don't you think? You'll never find it again." Hermione agreed.

"How about scattering their free range eggs?" Ginny suggested.

Both girls burst into giggles.

"I like eggs." Kia said, walking in with a pile of washing.

Ginny and Hermione snickered even harder.

"What? What did I say?" Kia asked. "Oh, you were talking about sex." The red haired Australian girl groaned, and sat on her bed.

Kira walked in. "Sex talk? Fun." She said, sitting on the other bed. "I've always thought the term 'scattering wild oats into the winds of summer' is_ way_ too romantic."

"Sounds like something out of a Mills and Boon™ novel." Kia agreed, and the four girls settled down to have a nice long talk about sex.


	7. Ch 6: The Simpsons

Title: Hey, Where Are the Kangaroos?

Authors: Silver Sparklze and The Great Muses

Summary: When Voldemort starts to wonder why Virginia Weasley managed to escape him so long ago, not only are Harry and his friends in danger, the rest of Hogwarts is too. So Professor Dumbledore hatches a brilliant plan to send Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and the twins Fred and George, to the last place on Earth that Voldemort would _ever_ look for them…Australia.

Chapter Title: The Simpsons

Ash's and Telly's Notes: This chapter is really just filler, but bear with us.

Reviewer Response: Kate: Thanks, we're glad you like it. Unfortunately, the chapter length is determined by how much is written down.  
  
FuNnY cIdE: We're pretty sure there're no more choir scenes, but if there are, we'll see what we can do.

Kathryn Black: Thanks.

Desert Hacker: Here's some more.

Malicorejewel: Sure, babe. Here's the next chapter for ya.  
  
Raiining: We're glad you like it. Yes, the characters aren't completely canon, but we prefer to have the teens being intelligent and mature (for the most part), not whiny little brats like Harry was in the fifth book.

* * *

"So what do you think the girls are talking about?" Ron asked, putting his clothes in his drawers haphazardly.

"Boys." Fred and George said immediately.

Fred was sitting on his bed, meticulously copying out the many uses of mandrakes.

George was tinkering with one of their many inventions, a small silver pocket watch which kept singing God Save the Queen in a high pitched, tinny voice.

"Hey," Fred said suddenly, "did you know that mandrake leaves have narcotic properties? They also make you really high."

"Uh huh. How interesting." Harry said absently, folding his clothes and putting them away neatly.

"You aren't a pansy, are you?" George asked, turning the bedside light on and off. He'd given up on the watch (which was now singing the Song That Never Ends.)

"What?" Harry hung his uniform up and turned around to look at George quizzically.

"Are you gay?" George repeated. "No normal person puts their clothes away like that."

"Hermione does." Ron said, jumping to his girlfriend's defense.

"Yeah, but she's a _girl_." Fred said dismissively.

"And here I thought you were just a pretty face." An amused voice said. "But you have brains too. What a pleasant surprise."

Harry turned around to see Kira standing in the doorway.

"Sorry to disturb," she continued, looking anything but, "I was just wondering if you wanted to watch The Simpsons with us. Oh, and by the way, we weren't talking about boys…well, not in the strictest sense. We were talking about sex."

"Kira!" An embarrassed voice squealed, and Kira cackled evilly, before running down the stairs.

Harry shook his head, and went to the door.

"Where you going?" Ron asked.

"To watch The Simpsons."

* * *

"Whoa…" Ginny breathed, looking around the large lounge room.

It was painted white, with large bay windows covered by dove grey Venetian blinds, and had a wooden floor, with a Persian rug in the middle. Sitting on the rug was a knee-length high table that was piled all over with muggle food and books. One was a book of muggle fairy-tales, which Hermione gazed at longingly.

"Go ahead." A pretty woman with Kia and Kira's eyes, but blonde hair, said. "I don't think Kia will mind. I'm Diana Wesley, the twins' mum."

Hermione flashed her a grateful look, and grabbed the book.

"I'm Ginny Weasley." Ginny said, "and the bookworm's my friend Hermione."

"Nice to meet you, Ginny." Diana smiled.

At that moment, Kira came in, eating cookies. "What're you waiting for?" She asked Ginny, "turn on the tv."

"Er…" Ginny shot Harry a look.

He immediately snatched up a small silver rectangle made out of what muggles called plas-tik, and pointed it at the pane of black glass which took up most of the back wall, pressing a red square in the corner of the rectangle.

Ginny jumped when the tall black box next to her started pumping out loud muggle rock music, and the glass panel flickered into life, showing a dark man wearing not much more than a pair of poured on leather trousers.

"Damn," Kira swore, "Rocky sat on the remote again. Hand it to me would ya, Harry?" Harry handed Kira the 'remote', and the redhead pressed a couple of buttons. "Well, I can't fix it." She said after a couple of minutes. She drew in a deep breath. "KIARNA!!!"

Ginny winced. Kira's voice was louder than the music.

"Yah?" Kia asked, walking in. "Hey," she said, spotting Hermione, "World's Greatest Fairytales! You liking it so far?"

"Yeah, it's brilliant," Hermione said eagerly. "I really love the way they retell the story about the six swans."

"It's really well done, isn't it." Kia agreed.

"Kia!" Kira whined.

Kia rolled her eyes. "Oh, all right, what's wrong?" She asked.

"That fat fur ball sat on the remote again." Kira growled, pointing at what looked like a rather large black velvet cushion.

"He doesn't mean too!" Kia said; her face flushed with anger. "And it's not like it's hard to fix!" She snatched the remote off her sister, and pressed a bunch of buttons in a seemingly random order, before pressing it at the picture of the man in the leather. The picture flickered, before changing to show a white background that had a blue circle in the middle of it. Written inside the circle was 'ten'.

"What _was_ that…music?" Ginny asked, referring to the loud massacre of rock music.

Kia and Kira smirked. "Surround sound." They said in unison.

"Shh," Hermione scolded. "The Simpsons is gonna start soon."

Harry nodded emphatically, and the twin girls sat down on one of the white leather couches happily.

"What're The Simpsons?" Freed asked, coming into the room.

"You don't know about _The Simpsons_?!" Kia cried.

"Should we?" George asked. Kira pretended to faint.

"Ooh, it's the wickedest show ever." Kia enthused. "It's all about this family of five-"

"I think I'm having a heart attack." Kira gasped,

"-who're your typical American family," Kia continued as though she hadn't been interrupted,

"My heart is no longer beating,"

"Who get into all these not-so-typical situations. Like Lisa, the brainy middle child goes to the future. And Bart, the mischievous eldest child defeats the evil Groundskeeper Willy when he tries to kill all the kids.

"But there're also some normal situations. Like when Bart comforts Lisa after her jazz-playing friend Bleeding Gums dies. He tells Lisa he believes in reincarnation. Lisa asks Bart what he'd like to be if he was reincarnated. Bart says he'd be a butterfly. When Lisa asks why, expecting a really sweet answer, she's told that 'nobody suspects the butterfly.' Then they show a picture of a butterfly with Bart's head torching the school, and the principal being dragged away by the police yelling 'it was the butterfly, I tell you, the butterfly!' So yeah."

Kia took a couple of deep breaths, rather red in the face from talking for so long.

"Shut up, Kia, it's on." Kira scolded.

"Ooh, it's the butterfly one!" Hermione squealed, getting a strange look from Ron.

They sat in silence, watching the half hour episode, and by the end, Fred and George were in stitches.

"That…was…bloody…brilliant!" Fred gasped between snickers of amusement.

George nodded furiously.

"Ok…someone's been standing _way_ to close to the microwave." Kira muttered.

"What do you mean by that?" Ginny asked, automatically sticking up for her older brothers.

"They've got radiation damage. They're too strange." Kira clarified.

Kia looked up from where she was making a collage out of coloured popcorn and bits of carpet lint. "You can _never_ be too strange." She said, grinning.

"Like you would know. You're strange _and_ twisted." Kira snorted.

Kia shrugged. "Sure I'm twisted. But it's a good kind of twisted."

Ginny and Hermione exchanged a look.


End file.
